Hotel AKA Boston Common — Hotel in Boston

First I will say that I take "online reviews" very seriously and in appreciation of many other travelers that do so as well, I am committed to providing transparent reviews about my travelling experiences. When looking for a hotel in the Boston areas for my husband and I, I literally had a headache. I was going from site to site, comparing Zagat, AAA, Trip Advisor, etc. reviews to get a pulse on the best place to stay for our weekend getaway. I even called Liberty Travel to get help or suggestions from them. They were helpful in doing the analysis for us but at the end of the day the hotel decision was ours as to what we were looking for in the way of things to do, places to go while in Boston. Well I've stayed in Cambridge before and although lovely, I wanted to stay close to the Boston Commons area as I knew there were a lot of options. In my search, the Nine Zero Hotel just kept popping up and what was in our favor was that they were a pet friendly hotel and there was no extra nonrefundable fee..simply sign a waiver (just too good to be true). So because it was too good to be true, I started re-reading the poor reviews they received on Trip Advisor...after reading them I started my search yet again. Just something would not let me shake this hotel.... Fast forward, we ended up making reservations for the weekend at Nine Zero! CUSTOMER SERVICE = A+ THANKS to LIZ and BRANDON for being beyond outstanding . This hotel is conveniently located near everything. We walked to Boston Commons, diagonally across the street from hotel is the Granary Burial Ground, about 3-4 short blocks away is Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market...just so much to see and do within walking distance.....we are planning another trip to put in a dent into touring the area. Here are some pros/cons about our experience: Pros: 1)Based on the reviews I read, we requested a corner King room ending in 05. Our request was honored. When we checked in and went to our room, although we had a corner room the view was not exactly what I expected. When my husband went to walk the dog, Liz asked him, "are you okay with the room?" My husband replied "it's okay, my wife would've liked a better view considering this is our first time here but it's okay." Without knowing this conversation took place, I received a call from Liz at the front desk and can you believe she came up with three keys and took me on a tour of three (3) rooms to see if I liked the view better? Who takes the time to do that? Amazing. We found another room with a spectacular view of the river and within minutes were settled into our new room. 2) Very clean bathroom with nice amenities 3)Some of the king size rooms have nice CD players so bring your CDs to enjoy a little music. 4)The mini bar is LOADED with lots of options for libations and goodies for the sweet tooth...for a fee of course 5) Comfortable beds 6) Amazing shower experience 7) Wine reception for guests. If you miss it due to being out on the town, upon your return they will ask you if you want a glass of wine to take to your room 8) Amazing Highball lounge attached to the hotel (pace yourself as it's a bit pricey). Board games to add a little fun at your table. Amazing staff...Haley was our waitress and she was outstanding despite the wall to wall crowd. Worth trying! 9) Four legged family members (pets) are given their own beds and there is a bowl of treats greeting them in the lobby 10) Every single person behind the front desk was attentive and embraced dedication to customer service Cons: 1)The King rooms are definitely on the small side. Layout is a bit more open in double queen rooms 2) Pillows are not comfortable...very flat 3) Valet parking was the only option we were aware for $46.00/night 4) Used the mini bar for pack of aspirin (16 count), price list in room showed $7.00 but we were charged $9.50, plus tax at $0.67, totaling $10.17. 5) Comforter/Duvet was very worn

Would we stay here again? Absolutely..but what we would do differently is plan in advance for hopes of a...

Hotel- Kimpton Nine Zero (Boston, MA) Date- July 2020 (2 nights) Overall: Very good. The hotel is very charming, and the staff is attentive. The location cannot be beat! Housekeeping needs improvement, but on all other accounts, this is a great property. Accommodations- Excellent. We were assigned a ‘City Skyline 1 King Bed’, and we were incredibly pleased. The view from our room was stellar and the hotel and room décor, a wood and leather motif, was remarkable. The bed was comfortable, and the bathroom size and style met expectations for an urban property. The shower was slightly small, but the countertop at the sink provided plenty of space to put toiletries. One recommendation: please ensure the hanging doors to the bathroom close completely and don’t leave users exposed to the others in the room; ours closed imperfectly, leaving a large crack through which anybody else in the room could watch your every move. A track under the door would also help prevent the door from swaying outward. We did truly love the leather chair by the window; how comfy! IHG Rewards Club Recognition- Excellent. We were thanked for our loyalty, and our room was upgraded. Welcome amenity points were offered. Staff- Excellent. Kareem at the reception was very personable and welcoming. Liz, who served us wine for the modified wine hour, was also delightful and engaging. Wendy & Yari, who served coffee in the morning, were pleasant, informative, and accommodating. What a great staff! Housekeeping- Below Average. At first glance, the room was appeared clean, but there were candy wrappers, used tissues, etc. under the bed, which our pet found quickly. The bathroom was missing washcloths; when I inquired, the Front Desk told me that they did not have any on the property- kind of strange for a hotel. The glass shower door was not clean, especially at the bottom where soap scum had accumulated. Worse yet, there was a jar of opened ranch dressing left next to the mini fridge from a previous guest; refrigerators and surrounding areas should be checked between each guest, especially with guests having to acquire food, beverages and supplies outside the property. At least shampoo, conditioner, soap, toilet paper, & tissues were provided in adequate supply for our stay length. Pool/Gym- Not evaluated. Breakfast/Meal Options- Limited, but situationally appropriate. Just having re-opened from the pandemic, there was no room service, no restaurant, no minibar, and coffee machines were unavailable for in the room. Coffee service was offered from the front desk, as was wine for the usual wine hour, which was suspended since congregating is discouraged. The hotel has a list of neighboring restaurants to help travelers stave off hunger. Usual minibar offerings were available at the front desk. Laundry- Not evaluated. Computer/Printer/WiFi- WiFi was strong and streaming was smooth. Property Appearance & Maintenance- Very good. Exterior- The entrance and lobby were clean and could be reached by the valet area just around the corner from the main entrance. Interior- The elevators, the hallways, and the wooden flooring were all in good shape and quite clean. Some of the walls could use paint touchups, but overall, the property was well maintained. Other- Valet parking is suspended during the pandemic; so, a parking garage around the corner was recommended. The...

First time to Boston on business and didn't really have a choice where I would stay as my company booked a block of rooms that I notice really didn't give a discount over the price showing here on Google (this was about 25-30 rooms). So first I will start with the positive. It is great location in Boston and most everything is within walking distance. The bed was comfortable but like so many hotels I get a rash from whatever detergent they use on the sheets. (Please use hypo allergenic detergent with no perfume) The other positive is they do clean the room everyday and that it s a plus as so many do not anymore. The staff was friendly and attentive so please no I have no problem with them at all. Great people. The bathroom amnesties were above average but there was no way to take a bath even though there is a tub. There was no way to flip from shower to tub.

Now for the bad stuff. For a Hotel that caters to business travelers they have no food in the place. There is no bar. They partner with two restaurants within walking distance. One is basically a breakfast place and the other is higher scale Italian place. The only other option on the block is a Tavern with bar food. For a traveler who is jetlagged and is working the last thing I want to do is take a hike to find a restaurant in strange city. The other thing is having a drink to wind down means you again have to leave the hotel to find one. (I did find a liquor store a mile or so away that I paid double for a small bottle of vodka and club soda) They do offer a wine happy hour (literally one hour) which they were tearing down the two nights so I cannot comment if the wine was any good or what brand it was. They do offer decent coffee in the lobby but not until 7 am. They offer no in room coffee unless you ask for it! The room itself had no views (see pictures). The furniture was scratched up badly and the chair looked like it came from an episode of Mad Men. It was not at all comfortable and used it mainly as a place to set my things on. The last thing is and I know they are under new owners but when both your website and your amenity list in your room says you do guest laundry it would be nice that you do. On business I travel as light as possible to avoid checking my bags. I take the clothes I traveled in and get them washed so I can travel back. I know first world problems but I always check to see if the Hotel does this before I depart. I took a picture of the little display device next to my bed to show that they say they do. I was a little upset with the woman at the desk that just totally blew off the fact that this is on their advertising first and in the rooms list of amenities. I told her that was BS. So that is about all I have to say. If you aren't expecting much and you don't mind paying $300+ then go for it. I doubt I will ever be back in Boston soon but next time I will try and find something a little more put...